Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Too Much TV

Hubby and I have a big running joke.
It's true, but he thinks it's a big joke.
I always say, again, truthfully, that I really don't watch television.
Really, I don't.
With all the videos I watch I do it through Netflix or Amazon, and I rarely turn on the television anymore and just veg.
When I do turn it on it's just to see what's in my queue that needs to be watched and deleted.
Channel surfing is slowly becoming a thing that I used to do.
Hubby, however, loves to have the television on. Of course when he's watching something in the living room I'm going to see what it is, so to say that I "never" watch television would be an untruth. It is true, however, that I rarely watch television, or rather, I don't participate in unprompted television viewing. I'd much rather listen to music or read a book or watch a film.
Would I miss television if I got rid of it?
Probably, but last night I turned the TV on and because it had been so long I had to stop and think about what channels I like best.
Then when I did remember where to start (at TCM, of course), I started surfing and was instantly overwhelmed - something that I hadn't expected - which brings me to my point: do I really need to have cable TV?
Several people I know are getting rid of, or have gotten rid of, cable.
I spend an awful lot of money on something I'm not even watching.
And now that summer is coming, we should be outside, or at the beach, not sitting inside watching the boob tube.
I'm all about watching a movie on a hot summer night. As a matter of fact, Rollerball, any of the Planet of the Apes movies, and Almost Famous are ones that I prefer to watch in the summer. Don't ask me why, but it's true.
Let's consider, too, how many shows there are out there that have any ounce of entertainment value, or staying power? Are there any that are so culturally relevant that they need to be watched?
I don't think so.
My era for TV seems to have been in the '60s and '70s, with a few shows from the '80s, but other than that I can't think of many that are keepers.
Of course if TVLand would show more of the old shows that I like, I'd consider keeping it, but now I can watch my favorites like Petticoat Junction, Hazel, The White Shadow, and Here Come the Brides on DVD.
I don't need 800 cable channels for that.
I think it's time to cut the umbilical cord.
Wish me luck!
I'm really going to do it this time, and not just talk about it.
I'll leave you with some TV commercials from the '70s. Enjoy!

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